LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 8: Aryna Sabalenka [1] during her Ladies’ Singles Quarter-Final match against … More
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will headline the women’s singles semifinals at Wimbledon on Thursday as she takes on American Amanda Anisimova for a spot in the final.
Sabalenka survived a major scare in the quarterfinals, rallying from a break down twice in the third set to outlast Germany’s 104th-ranked Laura Siegemund 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in a nearly three-hour battle.
The three-time Grand Slam champion is into her third Wimbledon semifinal, having previously reached the last four in 2021 and 2023. She now faces 13th seed Anisimova, who eased past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets in her quarterfinal clash.
Sabalenka and Anisimova have faced each other eight times, with the American winning five times. However, in their previous meeting, Sabalenka beat Anisimova in straight sets on the Parisian clay at their Roland Garros Round of 16 match last month.
Sabalenka Eyes Third Straight Major Final
“I definitely think this surface suits her game really well,” Sabalenka said of Anisimova, who has equaled her best singles Grand Slam showing, matching her run to the French Open semifinals in 2019.
“That’s why she’s playing so well so far. She’s serving well, she’s hitting quite clean and heavy shots.
“We just played recently at the French Open. I had to work really hard to get the win. I mean, it’s going to be very aggressive tennis, I think.”
After finishing runner-up at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros earlier this year, Sabalenka is aiming to reach her third consecutive Grand Slam final. The last player to make the first three major finals of a season was Serena Williams in 2016.
Young Anisimova’s Terrific Turnaround
Anisimova took a mental health break at the start of last season for seven months, dropping to world No. 442 on her return. Eighteen months later, the 23-year-old is playing the best tennis of her career, and is set to enter the Top 10 next week.
“It’s a super special turnaround for me, considering where I was a year ago and losing in the qualies here last year, which was a bit heartbreaking,” Anisimova told reporters.
“I’ve done a lot of work since then, have really pushed my way through I feel like this year. I’ve dealt with some injuries and [gotten the better of] that and have worked on my physicality, also.
“I feel like everything has been kind of clicking for me, and I’ve been feeling more and more confident with each tournament I’ve played this year. So I feel like my confidence is pretty high. I’m looking forward to it, and I’ll definitely be soaking in this experience.”
Sabalenka vs Anisimova is scheduled to take place on Centre Court from 08:30 a.m. ET/12:30 GMT.
